Munitions Line Technology Insertion

Refurbishment was chosen over replacement wherever possible to reduce cost

New technologies were inserted to significantly improve product quality

Turn-key installation allowed customer to remain focused on their existing roles and objectives

Increased throughput objectives were met and a more cost-effective line is in place

The Problem: A Department of Defense ammunitions manufacturer simultaneously needed to manage major line technology improvements and increased volume requirements.

The RedViking Solution: Complete project management, where new systems were created and installed in parallel with refurbished machines to minimize line downtime.

“Don’t Take Down the Line”

In the face of significantly increased product demand, a U.S. ammunition manufacturer was facing high maintenance, frequent machine failure and obsolete components that were extremely difficult to replace. Meeting new requirements for greater throughput seemed impossible in the face of frequent downtime. The line was unable to meet its high speed production and inspection requirement of 1200 parts per minute.

Turn-key Engineering and Manufacturing Solution

RedViking created and managed a turn-key solution for mechanical design, build and installation of all machines, software and controls systems. A new line was designed that would use as much of the existing equipment as possible to minimize costs. The first system was built from the ground up to serve as a prove-out, and was inserted into the line with minimal disruption.

The Right Blend of New and Refurbished Machines

Once the initial system had proven its speed, maintainability and sustainability, existing systems were refurbished to match it. The most current technologies and readily available COTS components ensure that the manufacturer is now able to meet increased product demand with vastly improved system availability. We were proud to manage this complex project such that none of the munitions lines were taken down during modernization.